While there is snow on the ground, we are feeding the ponies at Thordale twice and day.

So this means all everyone stands about waiting for the dessert trolley to appear (that would be one of us pushing the wheelbarrow carrying three haynets full of silage).

Inevitably, there is lots of waiting.  No one ever seems to move.

As the sun was shining this morning, we took off the rugs.  There is no wind and there is no better feeling than the sun on your back.

Everyone is always very pleased to see me – but that could be the carrots in my pockets.

Daisy rode Taktur and I met this happy little scene as I wandering around with my camera.

The snow makes everything and everyone look beautiful.

A nice change from the eternal mud.

I spent a little while taking photos of some lovely faces!

I am convinced that Lambie practices his Look in front of a mirror.

He is just so damn gorgeous.

Just like his dad!

Actually, they all are my handsome little Boyzenberries.

Shetland in winter is very beautiful.

We had a sprinkling of snow.  Nothing much to write home about but still, snow is snow.

The food (big piles of silage) was out and everyone was doing what we call in our house “lovely sharing”.

In fact, when I see the boys play together, I know they are coping very well for this time of year and are happy.

And so I went carefully outside with my camera to make the most of the light.  Snow also makes everything look far less grotty and muddy until it melts and then we are back to square one again.

Newt’s eyes are responding to treatment and I am pleased with their progress.

The old goob has left behind a nasty trail but it will soon disappear.  I clean them regularly with cold tea.

Albie and Newt now stay in the field at the top by themselves.

The endless mud makes them very miserable and at least when they are in this field, they can always get away from it.

Delia will join them tomorrow and then this three will be moved to a small paddock around the back – far away from Efstur and Taktur’s loving gaze and/or lecherous thoughts.

When I watch Delia move, I am starting to suck my teeth.  This is a bad sign.  She is deteriorating now.

Delia spent last winter with Albie and Newt so she knows them well and I will see if having her home helps.

Meanwhile, wherever I go, eyes follow me.

In the kitchen I keep a box for kitchen veg scraps and peelings.  I dish them out fairly.  Today Haakon had a banana skin, Iacs had a cauliflower stalk and the rest had carrots pieces.

They are handsome eyes, though.

Guess who has been lurking about the place while the other three went out to enjoy themselves, stretch their legs and get some fresh air?

Lambie and his surrogate Mum, BeAnne, spend much time scrounging.  It is a national sport.

I suppose BeAnne taught Lambie all she knows when he was her little lamb.

BeAnne has always been a very good mother despite having no real babies of her own.  She had a horrid phantom pregnancy and was subsequently spayed.

Anywho yesterday our trainer and farrier, Bjørn, came over with his Icelandic horse, Elvar, to train in our indoor school.

Lambie had snuck into the shed to tidy up any rogue hay lying around.  I was standing in the middle of the school taking photos for Bjørn so he could see how Elvar was moving.  Photos can be a very useful training tool.

Lambie enjoys watching the horses go round.  He always has.

Once Elvar and Bjørn had finished, Lambie went up to introduce himself.

I don’t suppose Elvar, who came over from Norway a few months back, has met such a special sheeple.

Then Bjørn rode Elvar home (just down the road) before it was completely dark.

And we all went into the house where Lambie proceeded to work his charm.

When I said “No, you’ve already had your carrots for the day”, I was the recipient of Lambie’s steely glare.

I may have had to give in and find “and-this-is-the-last” carrot.  But I always say that and then Lambie smiles and then I think well, carrots are good for you and they aren’t fattening!  I may have mug written on my forehead.

You can see where Lambie learned this skill.

I can honestly say that we are all very bored of this weather.  It is starting to get to us.

We all weathered yesterday’s storm.  There was, however, a casualty – Kappi’s rug which was found in his field utterly trashed and beyond repair.  Apart from that, we got through it in one piece.

Although the storm necessitated rugs for the little ones, I am loathe to take them off yet.

To be honest, I think Albie would fight me for it! (Don’t you think he looks smart in it – like a little soldier-horse).

Albie luffs his rug.  It is his second best friend.  Newt, of course, is his first.  That going without saying.

Newt is less keen on his rug as his restricts his movement hugely but, to be perfectly honest, I don’t think Newt has any ideas of leaping and prancing about much anyway.  The ceaseless mud gets him down very much and I am thinking the little boys may have to come up to live round the house (or perhaps even in it, if I can get my way) later on in the month.

So we are down by one rug, which is annoying but not the end of the world.

Those that have them, need them and those that don’t, probably will never have one.  Haakon would think his life was over if I rugged him up.  Sort of like admitting he is old.  We don’t mention it.

And this is now around the corner waiting to get us **** sigh ****.

As I said, we are all very bored of this.